Apparatus for compressing finely divided substances



July 5, 1938. A. D. WHIPPLE 2,122,874

APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING FINELY DIVIDED SUBSTANCES Filed Jan. 31, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR, 25 4LEND Wl/PPLE, BY 6 m ATTORNEY.

July 5, 1938. A, wHlPPLE 2,122,874

APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING FINELY DIVIDED SUBSTANCES Filed Jan. 31, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i j I a! f; i 6 E 25K a r 2.9%

-| {a "ll INVENTOR, I ALLE/VDWH/PPL-E, BY

ATTORNEY.

Patented July 5, 1938 UNITED STATES ars QFFHQE' APPARATUS. FOR COMPBESSING FINELY DIVIDED SUBSTANCES Allen D. Whipple, Alexandria, Ind., assignor to Johnson Laboratories, 1110., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application January 31, 1935, Serial No. 4,228

magnetic characteristics. Said invention eomprehends a method and an apparatus which admit of the uniform compression of all portions of such a substance and the consequent formation of a product having the same density throughout its entire mass.

These results are attained by the use of a plunger or plungers operating in a floating compression cell whose wall is movable with, instead of being fixed in relation to the substance en-= closed thereby.

Heretefore, apparatus for compressing finelydivided materials have been provided with a movable plunger and a fixed or a positively-actuated compression-cell whose inner surface, during the act of compression, was frictionally engaged by the finely-divided material, the result being that the compressive energy acting upon the plunger was unequally applied to sequential portions of that material. For this reason, the parts 01' the product most remote from the plunger were rendered less dense than other parts thereof. This difliculty also was experienced with compressing apparatus embodying opposed movable plungers, whose products were less dense between than at the ends.

certain prior-art devices for compacting finely-divided materials have been provided with movable cells, but these cells were actuated or so a controlled by some other element, that friction between said materials and the walls of said cell was neither avoided nor minimized.

The new apparatus, herein disclosed,.by eliminating, materially reducing or minimizing triction between the finely-divided material and the inner surface of the cell, produces a product which is of uniform density throughout, regard-q less of whether it embodies a single movable plunger, or opposed movable plungers. The invention will best be understood if refer; ence be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- 1' Figure 1 is a view in elevation oian apparatus embodying the invention, parts being broken away to reveal the compression cell and its associated elements; and

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of a modification, to an enlarged scale, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

These drawings illustrate only one of several types of apparatus in which the invention may be embodied, it being possible to incorporate said invention in any known apparatus containing actuating devices for either a single compressional plunger or even opposed compressional plungers.

As shown, said apparatus embodies a suitable frame I upon or within which the actuating and actuated parts are mounted.

The apparatus is provided with a floating or movable cell2, that is enclosed by a fixed guide 3 in which it has a free vertical movement, said cell being automatically held in its initial or idle position by a spring it which is of suiiicient strength to sustain the weight of the cell, and, consequently, will not materially impede its downward movement while the enclosed finelyvided with grooves 3a leading to outlet openings 3b, which carry away such portions of the finelydivided material as may unavoidably enter the space between said guide 3 and said cell 2, and, ii retained therein, interfere with the return of said cell to its initial elevated position.

plunger 5 and a lower ejector '8, which, during the act oi compression, sustains the mass 01 finely-divided material, and. after compression is complete, operates to expel the pellet. The actuating devices for this elector 6 may be such that it will either remain stationary until the finely-divided materialis fully compressed, or move upward to some extent toward the descending plunger 5 to therebyparticipate in the work of compression. I

Mounted in the upper part of the frame I is a shaft I, having, at one end, a driving pulley 8, and, at the other end, provided with a beveled pinion 9 meshing with a further beveled pinion divided material is being compressed; but any v 40 The apparatus includes an upper compressional III that is mounted on a vertical shaft II. This shaft ll carries at its lower end a beveled pinion i2, meshing with a beveled pinion l3 carried by ahorizontal shaft H. v

A cam I! on this shaft ll engages an antifriction pulley I 6 mounted in a hollow block ll.

Secured to this block are upwardly-extending thrust rods l9,which, at each revolution of said cam ill, engage a verticallyemovable block l9 upon which is fixedly supported a further thrust rod 20 extending upward within the fixed guide 3 and having a socket 2| in which the ejector 9 is suitably secured. A spring 22, surrounding the rod 29 and interposed between said block is and said fixed guide 3, operates to return said block l9 and its associated elements to their original positions in which they remain unt they again are actuated by'said cam ll.-

The apparatus may be provided with a pressure-relieving device, which comprises four rods 23, threaded at 23d, and whose upper ends 23a-are screwed into the frame I and whose lower ends areprovided with adjustable nuts 24 which sustain springs 25 carrying a plate 26 through holes -26wof which the rods l8 freely extend. Rods 23 also extend 'freely through said plate 26. Nuts 23b borne by said screw-threaded rods 23, admit of the vertical adjustment of the plate 26 to there by determine the altitudinal position of theblock I 9 during the period of compression.

The function of the springs 25 is to relieve the excessive downward pressure which would be produced if any compressed pellet should not be expelled from the cell before the introduction of material for a succeeding pellet.

plunger 5', said pitman 28 may be, provided with some suitable means for altering its length, such, for instance, as a screw 33 engaging the threads 33a of a cavity 33b with which the upper part 34 of said pitman is provided, the lower end of said screw being formed with a head 35 having a suitable swivel connection 39 with the block 39 to admit of the ,turning and consequent adjustment of said screw. Said head 35 has holes 35,

in any one of which a suitable instrument may be inserted when said screw is to be turned. Ease of adjustment is attained by slitting, as at 34c,

the upper part 34 of the pitman at its cavity 33b,v and by providing it with perforated lugs 31 having bolts 31a which maybe tightened or loosened as occasion may require.

The apparatus is provided with an oscillatory hopper 39 comprising a funnel 33a and an inclined chute 39b. ,Extending downward from said funnel is a post 390 the lower end of which is pro- I at a, the lower end of this lever being connected vided with a cavity 39d into which a pivot pin 39c extends.

Said oscillatory hopper 39 is moved to and from the positionin which itwill discharge portions of the finely-divided material into the compression cell, by a cam groove 39 on theshaft I. --This cam groove engagesand actuates a lever. 39 pivoted b'y alink II to the chute ofsaid hopper.

Fixedly depending from claim is:

The movements of this hopper, produced by said cam groove 39, relatively to the movements of said plunger 3, and said ejector 9, respectively produced by the crank 21 and the. cam II, are such that said hopper remains in the idle position. shown in Figure 1, when the compression of the finely-divided material is taking place, and while the compressed pellet is being ejected from the cell, and is moved to filling position while the ejector 9 is returning to its initial lowered position and a new charge is to be introduced into said cell. v

The modification shown in Figure 2, generally involves the samefelements as the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings, but in this construction means are providedfor producing tubular pellets instead of solid pellets as illustrated in Figure 1.

In this modification, the plunger I and'ejector 6 are tubular to cooperate with a corewhlch is a floating element having two aligned parts 2c, 2d, sustainedby a spring, 22a, which, at its lower end, rests upon a fixed plate, 23 and, at'its upper end, engages a shoulder of said part, 2d. Said two parts, 20, 2d, are flexibly united by a ball and socket joint, 2e, 2], so that any possible lateral displacements of-the lower part, 2d, will not tend to produce lateral displacements of said upper part 20, which lateral displacements, it produced. would cause said upper part to force the ejector I against the inner wall of the floating cell 2 and impart thereto undesirable friction, or restrain its essential movements.

In this modification, the tubular element 23a, is .of such size as to accommodate, not only the lower part 2d of the aforesaid core and the spring 220, but also a sleeve I912, which, at its lower end, is fixed in said plate 26, the function of said sleeve being to divorce said spring 22a from the verti- I cally-movable element 20a and to permit said spring to operate without appreciable restraint.

The term floating cell" is intended by me to mean a cell that is'actuated in its movements by the frictional force set up by'relative motion-between the cell wall and the compression member. or members cooperating therewith, and is not actuated by an impelling element which imparts thereto its own movement, the result being that said cell moves, not continuously, but step by step during the period of compression.

Having thus described my invention, what I 1. An apparatus for compressing substances, including a cell for receiving substance to be compressed, means for compressing said substance in said cell, a core extending into said cell during compression, a supporting member for said core, a flexible connection between said core and said member, and devices for separating the compressed substance from said core.

"2. An apparatus for compressing substances,

including a cell for receiving substance to be compressed, means for compressing said substance in said cell, a core extending into said cell during compression, a supporting member for said core, a ball and socket connection between said core and said member, and devices for sepf arating the compressed substance from said core.

ALLEN D. WHIPPLE. 

